Until the Mockingjays Fly
by Willow.Everdeen
Summary: It has been two years since Katniss Everdeen was killed in The Hunger Games, and her sister Prim is 14. Now Prim is faced with the reaping, and when she is forced to participate, will she realize just how hellish the games actually are? Will she survive, unlike her sister? But if she comes home, could she face the nightmares?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The stars shine dimly in the sky. Night has fallen. You can't hear people in the streets anymore, because they're all in their homes. I know why. Tomorrow's the reaping.

My name is Primrose Everdeen. My sister, Katniss, died two years ago to the Games. I hate the Capitol. They've killed Katniss, who was innocent and beautiful. She was the best sister I could have ever had, and now she's gone. I remember when she died. Time slowed down and I ran outside in tears. The mockingjays were singing. It reminded me of Katniss.

The birds aren't singing now. A dark cloud looms over the whole of the district as many people switch off their lights and close their eyes, determined to get a good night's sleep, because it could be one of the last nights in their home they'd ever get.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It's 11 o'clock. The reaping is in 2 hours. I'm standing in front of the mirror, wearing a blue dress. Just like Katniss at her reaping…

I must wave away the thoughts of Katniss, because I'm almost ready to go to the reaping. My mother is sitting at her sewing desk, finishing a cardigan she was making for me. She slips it onto me and it's baby blue, just like the dress I'm wearing. "You look beautiful," she says.

_Not as beautiful as Katniss_, I think, but the last thing Mother wants to hear is a mention of Katniss. She lost my father, and now Katniss; what if she loses me today as well? She would never be able to lift herself from her bed and I fear she'd die there in her bed and the Peacekeepers would carry away her body.

"Come on, we need to go," my mother says. Over the years her voice has become more of a rasp. She's an empty shell of a woman, to be honest.

We walk to the town square in silence, and we arrive to see already about a hundred people have arrived, as well as the camera crews on the rooftops of some of the shops around the square. The electronic equipment ruins the sight of the town square. Camera crews surround the bakery as people climb ladders to get on top and film from there.

Effie Trinket is stood at the front, on the stage. Her eyes are furrowed a little as she concentrates of getting everybody into their positions. "We're on a tight schedule, get a move on!" I keep hearing her say.

I look at the place where they prick your fingers. Because of that machine, my sister died. I look at everything with such a clearer insight on reaping days now, thinking about how every single one of them had something to do with Katniss's death. The microphone picked up the first words Katniss said after volunteering. The glass ball held Katniss's name. Effie's pale fingers clutched one of those slips with my name on it, and that led Katniss to volunteer.

But most of all, it was my fault.

I caused it all. But I have no time to ponder this. The reaping is about to begin.


	3. Chapter 3

"Welcome, welcome!" says Effie Trinket as usual. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" She says the same every year. The same as the reaping where Katniss was chosen...

"The time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 76th Annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first."

I take a deep breath as she walks towards the glass ball. I am fourteen with no tesserae. The odds are probably against it, though when I was twelve with one entry, I was reaped. Fate dislikes me, it is very clear. Maybe he never feels pity for anyone; in which case, I am certain to be reaped.

"Primrose Everdeen!"

Again?

My heart beats as people turn to look at me, alarm on their faces. I am the girl who was reaped twice. I am the unlucky one, the poor girl, who has nobody to volunteer now. Both of the Everdeen sisters are gone now. It just leaves mother...

Mother!

She stands at the back, her face as hard as stone, but with tears in her eyes. She lost her first daughter to the Games, lost her husband to a mine accident and will now lose her second, precious daughter to the Games as well. I look at her. There are tears in my eyes as well. I'm lost for words. But I don't need to speak any.

"Come on up, Primrose!" Effie says half-heartedly. She probably remembers me from before. I still have the unmistakable blonde plaits but I'm wearing a blue dress and I'm taller. I shiver as I walk up to the stage. Cold envelopes my bare arms and legs. I step up onto the stage and look out towards the crowd. I was determined to keep my face like stone as well. Because now she's moving out onto the boys, and I see all the boys from my class, as well as-

"Rory Hawthorne!"

Oh no.

I see Gale, Katniss's friend. I look to Rory. He's my best friend. He's Gale's brother. He's Katniss's best friend's brother. He's like family to me. I can't help the tears that start to dwell in my eyes. I cannot believe this. _Rory Hawthorne. Rory Hawthorne. Rory Hawthorne. _I watch as he makes his way up to the stage. Gale cannot volunteer, but if he could, he'd be up there like a shot. You can see it in his eyes. But Gale is twenty, and he's no longer eligible to be reaped or to volunteer.

_Rory._


	4. Chapter 4

We were taken into the justice building to say our final goodbyes. I look towards Rory, but he avoids my gaze. I can't believe fate's cruel hand has done this to me. I do not wish to kill Rory, and he does not wish to kill me either. But yet we're forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of those piggish Capitolites.

"Right!" Effie says cheerily. "Let's hope it's a win for District 12 this year." She sounds doubtful. I'm only 14 years old. How could either of us win? Haymitch Abernathy stands by himself. Katniss or Peeta could have been standing with him, as mentors, but either way, I'd still be reaped. Instead of Katniss, that ginger girl from District 5 won. At least the crown wasn't gained by Clove or Cato from District 2. Katniss called the ginger girl Foxface. Her real name was Elle, that's what I've seen on the television countless times in the last two years.

Mother comes in to see me and wraps her arms around me. She gives me the mockingjay pin Katniss wore to the arena. I smile through my pain and tears and hug her back, so tight she can just croak, not speak. "I'm so sorry," I say. "I will try for you." Is trying enough? I'm unsure. But Mother seems pleased that I will try. The Peacekeeper shoves her out. Gale Hawthorne comes in next.

"One of you needs to come out," he says desperately. "Whether it's you or Rory, one of you needs to. I have an agreement with your mother. She can live with us for the time being. I'll hunt to feed us all. One of you will return, okay? Work together until the end. Please, for me, for your mother, for my mother...for Katniss."

The word 'Katniss' makes the tears come again. He comforts me and I stand crying into his shoulder for the remaining time. The Peacekeeper pulls us apart and I wave goodbye. Probably the last goodbye I'd ever say, because now I'm being taken onto the train. I gaze out the window, my eyes wide and brimming with tears as District 12 fades away from my view.


	5. Chapter 5

The Capitol is beautiful. I never expected it not to be.

Rory doesn't speak to me for the whole journey. He goes straight to his room. The rest of the ride is uneventful, but soon the glamorous Capitol is in view.

"Ah, always good to be back home," Effie says. Haymitch raises an eyebrow and downs a glass of vodka. I glare at him. He reeks of liquor. He never brought Katniss home. He surely can't bring me home. I'm Primrose Everdeen. The girl who's sister died to the Games. The girl who's suddenly talk of Panem because of Katniss. Primrose Everdeen, the Girl on Fire's younger sister, reaped for Hunger Games. It's all over the newspapers, at least, that's what Effie's saying. I was only reaped a day ago and now people are talking about it like crazy.

The training centre is our new home. I look around and take in my surroundings. It's pretty nice. The training room itself is slightly intimidating.

The first day of training is a strange change of scenery. Careers tackle the terrifying gauntlet while more lower-district tributes learn how to start fires. The Careers taunt all of the tributes, but they never reach me. My sister received an eleven in training. What's to say I can't do the same? I know I can't, but they don't. I'm only 14. She was 16 when she was reaped. Two years of difference there.

"Hey, you're Katniss Everdeen's sister," says a little tribute. She's only twelve, and bears a horrible resemblance to that Rue from Katniss's games.

"Yeah. Primrose Everdeen, District 12," I say. "What's your name?"

"Iris Harper, District 10," the girl says. "The only thing I'm good at here is climbing. Are there any skills you could teach me?"

"Well, I do know some first aid," I say modestly, and show her how to bandage a leg wound. She widens her eyes at my supposed 'talent'. I watch her climb and try to myself, but I just like watching her shoot up the ropes like a squirrel. I laugh when she hangs from the ceiling and spies on the Careers. She comes back and says they were talking about me. The smile wipes from my face.

"They said: Primrose Everdeen's a threat, too. You see how good her sister was in the games. She almost won. If that red-haired chick hadn't gotten the better of them all, and if that blonde dude hadn't been so strong. Then the girl said, 'His name is _Cato_, and he's my brother.' They just started arguing a bit so I left."

"Great," I say. "So I'm a threat."

Could this day get any worse? Luckily it ends quickly. Tomorrow is the opening ceremonies. They used to be on the first full day, but now it's the second.


End file.
